DIPLOMAS Y CERTIFICACIONES

Frequently Asked Questions

Listed
below are some of the benefits
to be derived from choosing to study Italian in the beautiful Salentine
region, dispelling a number of common misconceptions:
- The population of the region speaks in Italian that
may be characterised as mainstream, rather than dialectic. Small pockets
of dialect do remain in certain areas, but these can be considered as
tasty "desserts" for those still hungry after digesting the
main "course"!
- Our region of Italy is one that has thankfully escaped the negative
implications of a large tourism industry. The result is that
the local population has very little English fluency, meaning that students
will encounter a true Italian immersion, virtually devoid of people speaking
English, whether locals or tourists. Indeed, 90% of Otranto's tourists
come from other parts of Italy rather than abroad, further ensuring an
English-free aural experience!
- Another distinct benefit of the region's low tourist profile is the
fact that the individualistic tourists who do visit this magical land
have interests different from those associated with mass tourism. For
these discriminating visitors, the appeal lies with the culture,
history, traditions and gastronomy of Apulia. Only in August
does the population of Otranto traditionally swell with an influx of Italian
holidaymakers.
- The Salentine peninsula of Italy is a region which breathes more slowly
and deeply... The fast pace of life and short tempers of the North are
dissolved by the atmosphere of this timeless landscape. People
have time to stop and speak to you (in Italian!) and are more than generous
with their help and enthusiasm. Otranto is a town that distils
this spirit into one word: congeniality. There are no worries
about crime or disorder, the sense of tranquil security is pervasive.
- The sea flanking Otranto is not only azure blue; it is the clearest
and cleanest in Italy! This is a fact established in each of
the last 3 years by virtue of Otranto's winning first prize in this important
environmental cleanliness category.
- Otranto and its environs offer the student a sensorial feast.
The air is free from pollution, scented with nature's bouquet of sweet
and spicy fragrances. This sundrenched landscape provides the
perfect conditions in which verdant crops flourish, with little artificial
irrigation required. The land is carpeted with olive groves, vineyards
and fruit orchards; natural vegetation also includes cactus, palm trees
and pine forests. There are a number of environmental areas set aside
by government as nature reserves, including dramatic, wild coastlines
plus an Oasis founded by the WWF. Expanses of white sand beckon visitors
to swim, or simply wade, in the warm azure waters lapping shores of hidden
bays and crescent beaches. The school offers very interesting guided trips
allowing students to experience firsthand these, and other, natural delights.
- Our school offers a friendly, personal and attentive approach
to learning Italian. We are a small, intimate institution with
a big desire to inspire learning in relaxed, yet professional surroundings.
Individual attention is assured at all times.
- The climate of southern Italy is very benign; the cold,
frosty winters of the North are unknown here. Our summer lasts from April
to October. The hottest days of August are tempered in Otranto by gentle
sea breezes from the Adriatic.

Average
Temperature in °C

Jan

Feb

Mar

Apr

May

Jun

Jul

Aug

Sep

Oct

Nov

Dec

12.0

12.4

13.7

16.5

20.4

24.8

27.3

27.5

24.9

20.6

16.8

13.6

7.1

7.2

8.2

10.4

16.8

17.8

20.2

20.7

18.5

14.9

11.6

8.8

9.6

9.9

11.0

13.5

17.1

21.3

23.8

24.2

21.7

17.8

14.2

11.2

- Otranto provides a variety of services to
meet all students' needs and desires. In town you will find banks, travel
agencies, supermarkets, agencies to rent cars, motorbikes and bikes, restaurants,
pizzerias, pubs, discotheques, a wide range of accommodation, exhibitions
and cultural events, cinema, theatre and concerts (open-air in the summer).

TYPE OF STUDENTS IN OUR SCHOOL
The average age of the students who attends our school
is from 34 to 48 years olt. You are not too old or even too young to study
itlian at our school; our youngest student was 4 years old and our oldest
student was 77.
Our students come from all over the world (in 2005 they
came from 27 different countries): North America, Europe, Japan, Australia
and New Zeland; South America. The distribuition of the different nationalities
per period is always homogenous and this fact encourages the use of Italian
as common language.
Au our school you will find different kind of persons:
students, teachers, employees, retired, managers, entrepreneurs, business
consultants, economists, lawyers, sellers, housewifes, journalists, tour
operators, interpreters, designers, religious ecc...
The course that can be chosen lasts from a minimum of
1 week to 6 months; the most part chooses to stay from 2 to 4 weeks. The
level of knowledge of our students is: beginner 43%, medium 29%, advanced
23%, excellent 5%.
The students that choose our school have a medium/high
cultural level and interest towards the Italian culture. That means a
strong participation to the cultural acttivities that the school offers:
guided tours, seminars, etc. In the last year, during their stay here,
all the students took part to at least 2 cultural activities proposed
by the school. The students rate who took part to the guided tours proposed
by the school has been over the 90%.
The most part of the students already attended other
courses in Italy and abroad; a good percentage, appreciating the mix of
cultural offer, warm atmosphere of the school and of the rich region chooses
to visit us again.

Situation of the school in the city?
Distance from the centre? The school is in the centre town, at 200 mt from the sea.

Type of building and number of class
rooms? (Old, modern, large, small, etc?) It is located in the centre in a new building, an apartment
with 4 classrooms, a bathroom, a library, a terrace for summer lessons
and a kitchen for cooking lessons.

Other facilities at the school?(Cafeteria, study room,
library, videos, etc.)
There is a Internet connection and didactic softwares, videos, stereo
and a library.

Can I study Italian with an Italian
student?The school promotes linguistic exchanges with Italian speaking
people in an informal context: you will speak Italian during meetings
which can take place at the beach, at a restaurant or at a bar.
Our students find this method very useful to improve their speaking skills.
Two people speaking different languages (i.e: an Italian and a foreigner) can work
together to help to improve their knowledge of the foreign language while
discovering some aspects of the partner's culture.

Cynthia from CaliforniaDear Barbara: I am back in California and I enjoyed seeing the beautiful images on the CD you gave me. Thank you! The memories of those special places are etched onto my soul. Thanks again to you and Angelo for being so gracious and hospitable. I truly mean it when I say that we are friends…read more >>

Anna from SwedenI have had a wonderful summer, I got to know a lot of new people and got a lot of new friends.
I was staying two more weeks in Italy before I went home to Sweden, I went to St Benedetto del Tronto, Verona and Venezia, but I must say that I liked Otranto and Salento much much better. Thank you Barbara for everything. It has been the best summer in my life!read more >>

Carla, David and family from Boston...the experience unforgettable for people of all ages. Attending the Scuola Porta d'Oriente is the opportunity of a lifetime and the school has my highest recommendation on all counts. If you travel the world, you will not find a more enchanting place or…read more >>

Tina and Lionel fron LondonLionel and I loved the school because:
- They have a nice, professional, dynamic team and they are very flexible, they can adapt their lessons to your needs.
- They are located in Otranto, it's a beautiful, very interesting and incredibly rich in history part of Italy…read more >>